The War for Shurima
by AnonymousFireTruck
Summary: A Retelling of the Fall of Shurima and then what happens next. Continues from after the events of Bloodline. Rated M for violence and occasional coarse language. No suggestive adult themes. All characters owned by Riot, original story of the Fall of Shurima also owned by Riot.
1. Prologue: Part 1

**A/N: Italics and non-Italics represent two parts of the storyline for the separate parties.**

 ** _Prologue_** :

'When the sun shines brightest, highest in all the days. With his power, shall he the city raise.'

 _A magical being of fire was sealed long ago in a magical sarcophagus, but now he was free. Freed by an unknown hooded man whom this being caught but a glimpse of. Free from his countless years of imprisonment underground, he stumbled upon a town in the middle of the desert. Feeling eager to relish in his powers of destruction once more, he shot balls of fire towards this city. As the buildings exploded, the inhabitants were frantically screaming and running for their lives. '_ How futile…' _thought Brand, as he knelt on one knee and placed his hands onto the ground before him, he felt his power surge. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his fire. Suddenly his eyes flew open, burning with the most intense of flames as he looked towards the city. In an instant, the ground beneath the city heated up and started glowing molten red, and then it erupted. The city was engulfed in a pillar of flames. The screams died as the bodies of the people burned instantly. Brand stood and laughed as he watched the city burn, it was an evil laughter, one that promised of much more destruction. Soon there was nothing left except for the sand and dust charred black, where the city once stood. Brand was nowhere to be seen._

* * *

A day later, word of this destroyed city reached Shurima. Azir was the Emperor of Shurima at the time, and although young, he was studious and noble as he cared deeply for the people. Upon hearing this tragedy, he employed his most trusted warriors, prompted by his loyal advisor, to seek out the culprit of this destruction and bring him to justice. Nasus, the jackal-headed ascended being who guards the Great Library, and his younger brother Renekton, the Crocodilian ascended being who leads the army, left in search of Brand. Azir was not only young in age, he was also young in mind. He was able to make important decisions with the help of his trusted advisor, however this dependence also meant that Azir was easily impressionable.

* * *

 _The brothers made their way through the desert towards the destroyed city. The entire city itself had been reduced to cinders, sand and dust whilst the inhabitants became ashes that blew in the wind. It would have been impossible to find, had it not been for the column of smoke that still billowed from the ruins of the city. Upon arrival, Nasus and Renekton saw the wake of destruction that Brand was leaving. Their eyes glimmered with anger and hatred as they began their search for Brand before he laid waste to another city._

* * *

It was an uneventful day in the capital of Shurima, the sun disc floated high above the city as the sun beamed down. Azir was studying in the Great Library when his advisor, Xerath walked in.

"Emperor, please, you must not stay cooped up inside. It is a beautiful day today, you ought to be outside enjoying the great Shuriman Sun."

"Xerath, how many times have I told you not to call me Emperor? We have been friends longer than I can remember, you don't need to call me Emperor." Replied Azir.

"Sorry Emp… Azir, but it's tradition, and it's difficult to break away from. In any case, you really shouldn't stay inside too much, I think I can see you getting visibly paler." Teased Xerath.

"Nonsense, everybody else is working, so since I don't have any political issues to deal with, I figured that I shouldn't idle around either."

"Oh? So this is a personal endeavour? May I inquire as to what it is?" Asked Xerath.

"It's nothing big, I'm just learning more about Nasus and Renekton, their history fascinates me."

"Yes those two have been through quite a lot together haven't they? You know Azir… If you want to understand them better, you can undergo the ritual yourself." Suggested Xerath.

"The Ascension Ritual? Don't be ridiculous."

"No seriously, it will be the solstice in a couple of days, and I do believe that you are the 'He' in that old prophecy."

"Prophecy? You mean that saying, that's been passed down from generations never being written? The one talking about raising the city? Honestly, I don't believe in that, I have half a mind to believe it to be a hoax started by some mischievous child some generation ago." Replied Azir.

"Oh Azir, it's true that it has never been written, but I do believe that it's a real prophecy. After all the Augurs have been saying it since before we were born. I honestly believe that you could be the one, you love the people, you have great magical aptitude, and you have the support of the people. Everybody loves you, I am certain that you will be worthy for the Ritual of Ascension."

Azir seemed to ponder this for a while, when he finally looked up at Xerath and said, "I guess so, I'll meet with the Augurs immediately, to see my worthiness for myself."

As Azir looked back down to his open book, he missed the subtle glint in Xerath's eyes. A glint that betrayed his true intentions. A glint that showed ambition, jealousy, greed and betrayal.

* * *

 _"_ _Brother, we have been walking for hours, are you sure the nearest town is this way?" Renekton asked Nasus in a slightly irritated voice._

 _"_ _Yes, I have memorized the maps of this desert, I practically know it like the back of my hand. Brand was just released, who knows how he got free, but one things for sure. After so long being imprisoned he won't be smart enough to choose where he destroys. He'll just find the closest thing and burn it to ashes." Replied Nasus in a low sombre voice._

 _Nasus has continually been feeling a sense of unease ever since they had left to capture Brand. He keeps wondering what this feeling is, but in the end he attributed it to the danger before him, Brand and his fire._

 _"_ _Brother, I see it!" exclaimed Renekton, interrupting Nasus' train of thought._

 _"_ _There's the city, and it's still standing. Then we aren't too late!" said Renekton gleefully._

 _"_ _The question then, is: where is Brand?"_

 _Renekton began to move, but stopped his step. He felt an immense heat start radiating from a distant sand dune to their left. It was alien to the desert, it was hotter than the desert sun and carried with it an evil aura, one of killing intent._

 _"_ _Brother, can you feel that?" asked Renekton._

 _"_ _Yes, it's coming from that direction, let's hurry! He must be preparing his attack!"_

 _The brothers sprinted in the direction of the magical aura, weapons in hand._

 _When Nasus and Renekton underwent the Ritual of Ascension, they both chose a weapon with which to accompany them for the rest of their lives. A connection that ran deep through the magic of the Ascension. Nasus had chosen a War Axe, it was almost as tall as he was, with a blade razor sharp, and a turquoise gem embedded in the middle of the axe head. Renekton had chosen a Bat'leth. This was a large curved blade with a handle in the middle. It too had a bright green gem embedded in the middle of the curved blade._

 _As Brand came into view, the brothers could see him kneeling preparing his attack. Renekton sprinted faster, ahead of Nasus and roared in rage. Brand heard the roar, turned and saw a crocodile man hurtling towards him. His expression soured as he turned to face them. He held a hand up and pointed it in the direction of Renekton, his eyes flared a brilliant flame as Renekton's scaly skin caught fire. Renekton roared, but ignored the pain in his anger. Renekton charged at Brand with his Bat'leth at the ready, reaching Brand he immediately began to launch a series of assaults. Slicing and dicing this way and that, but it didn't seem like Brand was fazed at all, his wounds just resealed itself with fire. Renekton saw Brand hold up his hand once more in his direction, and he charge in. Brand drew his arm back and threw a ball of fire at his attacker. It hit Renekton in the face and for a moment, he was blinded and dazed by the impact. Taking this opportunity Brand held his arms towards the ground where Renekton stood, and threw them into the air. Eyes burning with fire and rage, Brand watched as the ground beneath Renekton erupted and the crocodile was engulfed in a tall pillar of flames._

 _Renekton roared in pain as the fire's heat burned him through his scales. Seeing this Nasus pointed his hand at Brand and stared at him. His hand began emitting a purple glow and likewise, Brand's body also glowed in the same colour. Brand relished in the Ascended warrior's pain, so much that he failed to notice that he had two assailants, before it was too late. He immediately felt a debilitating wave of exhaustion hit him, his eye lids grew heavy as the fire in his eyes dimmed. He no longer had the strength to keep the pillar of flames going and as it stopped, Renekton was freed. He turned to see the source of this magic and with his remaining strength he held up his hands and collected a concentrated ball of pure evil fire. He screamed in defiance as he hurled the ball at Nasus who dodged out of the way thus releasing his spell of Withering. At that, Brand smiled and redirected the ball towards Nasus once more as he was freed from the spell. The Pyroclasmic ball hit Nasus square in the back and he grunted in pain, but Brand wasn't done. He then telekinetically moved the ball towards Renekton and proceeded to pummel the brothers with it. Brand had full control of the fire, and each time the ball hit either Nasus or Renekton, he would make it explode. Nasus, seeing the predicament they're in, held his War Axe and swung it at the ball. On impact, his Axe glowed purple as Nasus began to syphon the magic away from the Pyroclasm._

 _Nasus roared, "You like fire so much? How about this then!" and he span his Axe above his head and then pointed it in front of him towards Brand. The ground around Brand immediately lit up in a ring of bluish-purple fire. He recognised this from the last time they fought. This was how they sealed him in the first place. He panicked and started to run out but the magic prevented him from leaving the threshold, he tried to control the fire but couldn't and he didn't understand why. He controlled all fire, so why couldn't he control this? He was frantic, he didn't want to be sealed again so soon after being freed so he desperately hurtled fireballs towards Nasus._

 _"_ _It's useless Brand." Nasus said coldly. "This fire is that of the spirits. The spirits of the people whom you murdered. You have no control over it. Nor will they allow you to escape. This is the end."_

 _Brand screamed. "NO! I REFUSE! NO!", but dropping onto his knees as he screamed his defiance, the Spirit Fire began to spin._

 _Nasus watched quizzically for this was not his doing. He watched as the Spirit Fire span and coalesced around Brand, and then it began to enter him. Nasus and Renekton stared as Brand fused with the Spirit Fire and the result was nightmarish. Instead of the normal red of the flames, Brand was now burning with blue and purple. The colour of the Spirit Fire. His face covered with a mask, like a totemic mask, as he stood there._

 _"_ _That's not possible." Whispered Nasus. He and Renekton both charged towards this Brand, if he could still be called Brand. Nasus had a feeling that there was a malevolent spirit who took advantage of the situation and Brand's desperation to possess him. Regardless, the brothers attacked. Bat'leth and War Axe met what would be flesh, but was instead incorporeal fire. Brand started burning them both, but this fire wasn't hot. It didn't burn the flesh. It burnt the soul. Nasus and Renekton were in immense pain, their souls were being destroyed, nevertheless they continued their onslaught. Seeing that physical attacks led to nowhere, the brothers made an alternate approach. They both concentrated and drew from the magic of the Ascension. The gems in Nasus' War Axe and Renekton's Bat'leth glowed turquoise and green respectively as the two brothers grew in size. Magic enveloping them both and sweeping up sand. They figured that if a physical approach would not work, then a magical one should. They attacked with their weapons now imbued with immense magic, and although the newly possessed Spirit Fire Brand held the weapons off momentarily with his magic, it wasn't enough. Nasus and Renekton both sliced him across the chest deeply, this wound did not heal, it couldn't. Brand screamed in pain as the spirits left his body, and he collapsed onto the sand unconscious._

 _Nasus and Renekton constructed a new prison for Brand, away from the city, in the middle of the desert. Sealing him underground once more and hoping that this time, nobody would find him. After this was done, the two brothers rested for a night, while they healed their wounds and in the morning began their journey back._


	2. Prologue: Part 2

Azir had visited the Augurs before, but never about himself. It was mostly to ask their advice and opinion as to make an informed decision about something or another. This time though, accompanied by Xerath, Azir went to Augurs for one question and one question only. Kneeling in front of the Augurs, Azir asked, "Oh great Augurs who divine the future. I have but one question to ask of thee."

"Speak, Emperor of Shurima." Ordered one of the Augurs. There were three in total and they all wore robes the colour of sand. They knelt atop a platform underneath an inscription of the city and the mighty Sun Disc.

"Am I worthy of the Ritual of Ascension?"

"That is a difficult question." Replied one of the Augurs. "You are still too young to be determined appropriately worthy."

At that Azir's heart sank, but he remained kneeling.

"However, your actions and your heart have spoken loudly. You care deeply for this nation and for the people. You would sacrifice anything if it was for Shurima. This selflessness is both your virtue and your curse."

The inscription of the Sun Disc began to glow behind the Augurs. It shined a faint radiant light onto the kneeling Azir. Seeing this the Augurs gasped. "The Sun Disc has spoken! It has deemed you worthy of this Ascension! Make preparations at once!"

Azir's face lit up, he couldn't believe what he was hearing! This was everybody's dream, even the Emperor! Only those worthy can undergo the Ritual of Ascension, anybody not would be disintegrated instantly should they try.

"However be warned…" said one of the Augurs, "There is a darkness ahead of you, and your virtue may indeed be your downfall."

Azir nodded, and stood up. He replied, "I will do everything that I can for the safety and prosperity of Shurima!"

Azir left with Xerath, who hid his conniving smile as the remains of a little magic dissipated from his fingertips. Making the stone glow was child's play. The Augur who gave the warning said in a low voice, "We know, that is why you must be careful for that philosophy will be this nation's ruin." The three Augurs looked grim and resigned as they stared back at the inscription of the Sun Disc, which was now cracked down the middle. "Goodbye Shurima, that which must be, cannot be deterred. This is the end of this era, however make no mistake. Shurima will rise once more!"

Azir was unbelievably ecstatic, he jumped around in joy. Once he has calmed down a bit he turned and asked Xerath, "How do you think the Sun Disc judges if someone is worthy or not?"

"'When the sun shines brightest, highest in all the days. With his power, shall he the city raise.' I suppose this prophecy is what decides everything. On the day of the solstice, the sun shall rise higher than ever and shine so much brighter. There is a reason why every Ritual of Ascension was conducted on a solstice." Replied Xerath.

"I still don't believe in that so-called prophecy. It's only ever spoken; nobody ever wrote it down. I still think it's a hoax. Well regardless, I can now join the ranks of Nasus and Renekton and help protect Shurima!"

"Don't forget you'll have to lead it too!" reminded Xerath, as he followed behind the gleefully skipping Emperor. He smirked at the lie he just told and his plan for what's to come.

* * *

 _Nasus suddenly stopped in his tracks, and held his head for a moment. The feeling of dread was overwhelming. Renekton noticed and concerned, asked, "What's wrong brother?"_

 _Nasus replied, "I have a bad feeling, something terrible is going to happen soon. We best hurry back to our Emperor."_

 _Renekton nodded, and they both began hurrying back._

* * *

On the day of the solstice, Azir was dressed in his royal garments. It was almost time for the Ritual. Azir was incredibly nervous but excited at the same time. Xerath was also excited, but little did Azir know, it wasn't for him. Xerath's excitement stemmed from whatever he's about to do. Little did Azir know, everything he worked so hard for was about to come to an end.

"It's time." Xerath said.

Azir nodded and began his ascent up the steps. Reaching the top, he waited until the right moment. As soon as the sun reached the highest point in the sky, the Sun Disc collected its rays and shot the beam down towards a dais. Azir watched this happen and began to walk forward. Xerath saw this too and cast his spell. It was a form of teleportation magic; he had learnt this initially for self-defence. As Azir took a deep breath, he lifted his foot to step onto the dais. Suddenly Azir froze. He felt the coldness of steel entering his back. He looked down and saw a silver blade protruding from his torso, it dripped with his blood. He was too stunned to register the pain, but he turned to look at his assailant. His eyes widened in shock as he saw his trusted advisor and dear friend Xerath, holding the blade which is now ending his life. Azir felt his strength leave him as he collapsed to the side. He weakly murmured a "Why?" as he watched Xerath's face contort into a deranged maniacal expression. Xerath howled with deranged laughter as he stood atop the dais.

"When the sun shines brightest, highest in all the days. With his power, shall he the city raze! There was a reason why the prophecy was never written down! It told of both creation and destruction!"

The last thing that Azir saw before he died was his beloved friend turning into an evil being of pure magic, and his beloved city engulfed in flames, destruction and death.

* * *

 _Shurima was in sight, Nasus and Renekton ran day and night to try and return in time. Standing atop the last sand dune to reach Shurima, they stopped as they stared. An explosion rang out and the city was engulfed in flames. They thought it might have been Brand's doing, but that was impossible, for Brand was sealed away deep underground. They helplessly stared as their beloved city burned to the ground as the Sun Disc cracked and fell on top of the city._

 _"_ _Renekton, do you see that?" asked Nasus. He spotted rays of blue light shooting from a high platform._

 _"_ _Brother… Isn't that where the Ritual of Ascension takes place?" asked Renekton._

 _"_ _Today's the solstice… Oh no…"_

 _They sprinted towards their dying city, trying to save someone, anyone. But it was in vain. Everyone was dead. They wept for the loss of their civilisation as they turned their attention to the culprit. They sprinted up the steps of Ascension, roaring in anger and sadness. Reaching the top, they saw their Emperor Azir, lying on the ground dead in a pool of his blood and a spectral figure of pure energy on the dais._

 _"_ _You… Xerath?!" Growled Nasus. "But why?! Were you not his friend? Did you not love this Shurima?"_

 _"_ _Hah Shurima was nothing but a stepping stone for me to attain absolute power!" Replied Xerath._

 _At that Nasus and Renekton attacked Xerath with all their might. However, no matter what they did, they could not land a blow as Xerath's body was non-existent. He was pure energy. They drew on the power of the Ascension and magically wrestled Xerath towards the ground. Xerath fired beams after beams of arcane energy, but none finding its mark. Nasus and Renekton were too quick and Xerath was not yet in full control of his powers so he could not aim as well as he wished. Nasus and Renekton forced Xerath into a sarcophagus because they knew they could not kill him. They succeeded and attempted to seal the evil being away forever. However, Xerath's raw power was too strong. He broke through the magical seal and attacked the brothers. Nasus couldn't react in time to dodge. He barely brought his War Axe up in time to defend himself from the arcane pulse, however the force of it pushed him onto the ground. Renekton seeing an undefeatable enemy, did what he could. He grabbed Xerath whilst he was focused on Nasus, and tackled him into the Tomb of the Emperors. Renekton's magical power had Xerath restrained in the dark room beneath the sand, and he yelled, "BROTHER! SEAL THE TOMB NOW!"_

 _Nasus didn't want to, he couldn't bear to trap his beloved brother down here with an insane monster for all eternity. "No… There has to be another way!"_

 _"_ _This is the only way brother, hurry up and seal it! I can't hold him down much longer!"_

 _Xerath screamed, "HAH, YOU THINK YOUR MEASLY MAGICS CAN CONTAIN ME?!"_

 _"_ _Please brother! For the sake of the world, seal that god damned door!"_

 _Nasus wept openly, he shed tears for what he was about to do. He cast his spell and the tomb door began closing. Renekton smiled and said, "Thank you brother, sorry for making you do this, but goodbye." Nasus replied with tears rolling down his face, "Goodbye brother, know that I have and always will love you."_

 _"_ _NOOO! CURSE YOU NASUS! HOW DARE YOU! ARE YOU SO HEARTLESS AS TO SEAL AWAY YOUR OWN BROTHER!? YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Screamed Xerath._

 _"_ _Silence, you monster! This is the end for you!" snarled Renekton._

 _"_ _Oh no my dear crocodile, this is just the beginning, do not forget. You are trapped in here with me, and I will make your life a living hell!"_

 _"_ _Go ahead and try it, Xerath." Replied Renekton._

 _Outside, Nasus wept for days as he listened to the sounds of battling within the Tomb. He wept for his fallen nation, he wept for the people, and most of all he wept for what he had done. He sealed the most dangerous enemy away for ever, but in doing so he damned his brother to an eternity of hell._


	3. Chapter 1: Aftermath

**Present Day**

 _Nasus left Taliyah and Sivir with an instruction to run as he went to fight Xerath. Nasus had given Sivir a jade pendant which he said would obscure them from Xerath's sight. It pulsated weakly and they knew it wouldn't last long. With Nasus' instructions, Sivir and Taliyah fled Vekaura._

 _"_ _Sivir… he can't beat Xerath." Said Taliyah suddenly._

 _"_ _He doesn't have to beat him; he just needs to buy us enough time to get out of here." Replied Sivir._

 _"_ _But he'll die! And so will all of the Vekaurans! We can't just leave them!" she complained._

 _"_ _Well what can we do?!" snapped Sivir. "Xerath's an ascended being, we don't stand a chance!"_

 _"_ _We could at least help the people! I can bend rock, maybe… maybe I can protect them from Xerath's magic, or at least the falling debris." Urged Taliyah._

 _"_ _I swear to Shurima, you're gonna get us killed. Fine but make it quick! And don't get too close!"_

 _Taliyah beamed and she started running back with Sivir in tow. Some distance off the outskirts of Vekaura, they could see the destruction happening to the city. Xerath's arcane blasts were destroying everything._

 _"_ _What is that old jackal doing?" complained Sivir._

 _Taliyah knelt to the ground and felt for the bedrock underneath. She made the connection and extended her sight. She could see all of the Vekaurans huddled together, crying, waiting to either be saved or for death. She weaved the rock around everyone she could find, sheltering them from all the falling debris and Xerath's magic. She was about to leave when she noticed a lone figure lying on the ground. She focused more on this figure and realised that it was Nasus, nobody else was that large. He wasn't moving so Taliyah thought he might have been killed, but she shook her head and shook those thoughts away. She had faith, even if Xerath wasn't defeated here, then Nasus will at least help them defeat him the next time. She weaved a small dome over Nasus in the hopes that he'll live and fulfil his promise to find them and defeat Xerath._

 _Finishing she stood up, looked at Sivir and said, "It is done, let's go."_

 _As they left, they wondered which way to go. They walked aimlessly until Taliyah noticed something strange with the jade pendant. Every time they faced a certain direction, the pendant would glow a bit brighter and longer. Sivir had told her that it was all in her head, that the heat was getting to her, but she argued that since they didn't have anywhere specific to go, they ought to at least follow something._

* * *

As Nasus left Vekaura, he wondered where he would go. He needed to find Sivir and Taliyah again, before Xerath can. He prayed that he could reach them before the magic of the jade pendant disappeared. He was still sore from his battle with the magus, but his bones have almost finished knitting itself together, and his wounds had all closed. Grunting, as each step is still somewhat pained, he walked in the direction of the Astrologer's Tower.

Ever since Shurima fell, Nasus wandered the desert. He had made Astrologer's Tower his home now, as it had long since been deserted. Nomads occasionally arrived, attracted by the well, however it had been a long while since Nasus had any form of company. Even after all that's happened, Nasus is still a scholar. He found the Astrologer's Tower to be a fitting residence and he began to build it into a library. He salvaged what he could from the Great Library, and then gradually added to the collection while wandering the desert. With the Astrologer's Tower in sight over the next sand dune, he hurried his pace.

* * *

 _"_ _Sivir, do you see that?" asked Taliyah._

 _"_ _Yeah, it looks like a tower of some sort. Let's go, maybe we can ask for some food, water and lodging there." Said Sivir._

 _Arriving at the foot of the tower, the noticed a well nearby. They knocked on the doors, but received no answer. They knocked again but still nothing. On the third try, they knocked a bit harder, hard enough for the door to swing ajar. Looking at each other, Sivir and Taliyah slowly walked inside._

 _It was somewhat dark inside; the only light came from the few windows around the place. They could see that parts of the walls were filled with books, other parts were empty. There was a large desk in the centre and a bed to the side. There was a spiral staircase leading up but before Sivir could go, Taliyah called to her._

 _"_ _Sivir, look." She was pointing at the desk, "This part of the desk has no dust on it, it looks like the shape of a book. I think somebody actually lives here."_

 _"_ _Huh, I think you're right, well let's have a look up stairs to see if anybody's home." Suggested Sivir._

 _Climbing the staircase, they read some of the book titles. It was all covered in dust, some were burnt and some were tattered and worn. Climbing to the top, they gasped at what they saw. It was once again a circular room, but this time, everything looked grandiose. The walls shined with gold, and there was a sculpture of the Sun Disc in the middle. There was nothing else in the room, until Sivir spotted something. Walking over, she saw what appears to be gold armour hanging from the wall. It was kept clean and pristine, save for the few nicks and cuts obtained when the armour had still been used._

 _"_ _Who do you think this belonged to?" Asked Taliyah._

 _As Sivir moved to touch the armour, the pendant around her neck suddenly flared. It glowed bright in the proximity of the armour, as though the magic of the armour, supplied it with more energy._

 _"_ _I think…" began Sivir, "I think this belongs to Nasus…"_

 _Going back downstairs, they waited for Nasus. Sivir crawled into the bed and fell asleep, still recovering from her wounds. Taliyah watched her for a while, but then got bored and started to look through the library. She didn't dare touch any of the ancient looking ones for fear of them crumbling into dust, but finding some relatively new ones, she began to read as she sat down at the desk._

* * *

It was past dusk now; the sun had set. Nearing the Astrologer's Tower, Nasus noticed that the door was open. His expression darkened as he edged quietly towards it. Peering inside, he felt relief at what he saw. Relaxing his guard, he walked in. Taliyah was slumped over the desk asleep, and Sivir was asleep in his bed. He walked over and placed sheets and rags over the two and whispered, "Sleep well for this may be the last full night of sleep you'll get for a while." Sivir shifted a bit, but stayed asleep, holding Chalicar in her hand. Nasus walked upstairs and stared at his armour. "It seems like I'll be needing you once again my old friend." He turned to the Sun Disc, sat down cross-legged and meditated. He didn't really need sleep because of the Ascension, but he found that meditating granted him temporary peace of mind, in the eternal sea of his guilt and remorse. He thought, "Soon brother… Soon you will be free. Either your sanity will return, or your insanity will finally obtain that which it yearns for."


	4. Chapter 2: Journey

It was morning and getting up from his meditating position, Nasus walked over to his armour. He stripped himself of the rags that he wore, and once more donned his armour of the Ascended. Grabbing his War Axe, he walked downstairs. Taliyah and Sivir were just waking up as well, and as he walked down, he cleared his throat behind them. They turned around in surprise. Sivir held Chalicar as if ready to attack and Taliyah stood up suddenly, readying her magic. Once they saw who it was, they dropped the stances and Taliyah ran over to hug him. "I thought you had died." She cried, and Nasus put a hand on her head and said, "It was thanks to you that I survived. Not only I but the Vekaurans too owe you their thanks. So thank you."

Sivir spoke up and asked, "So what do we do now? I see you're wearing your armour again; I'm assuming we're going to the fight huh?"

"Xerath has made his new capital at the ruins of Nerimazeth, however he will most likely head to where the old capital was. Azir will be raising the city soon; the solstice is fast approaching. We need to make it there before Xerath. But first thing's first, you need to eat. There's a small town along the way, we can get food there." Bringing out some dried meat and fruit, Nasus offered it to the two. "This isn't much but it's enough to last you until we arrive at the town."

"What about you?" asked Taliyah.

"I'm Ascended. I do not need as much food as you do." Replied Nasus

They ate the food as they walked, as they headed in the direction of the old capital.

* * *

 _'_ _Kill.'_

 _'_ _I must kill.'_

 _Renekton stood amidst the blood and carnage he wrought upon a band of merchants. He roared as he stumbled across the desert looking for his next kill. He didn't know why, but he felt drawn to a specific direction. With no better option, he faced that direction and started walking, Bat'leth in hand. Every human and every creature that he encountered was slain, and mutilated beyond recognition. His eyes were glowing red with blind rage and as if to match this corruption, the gem embedded in his Bat'leth had also turned and is glowing red._

 _"_ _Soon my brother. You will die by my blade for your betrayal." And he roared at the sky._

* * *

Arriving at the town, all of the inhabitants stared in awe as Nasus stood before them in all his Ascended glory. War Axe in hand, he walked over to a merchant and asked to buy food. The merchant just stared at him, jaws wide open, not knowing what to say or do. Sivir, annoyed, walked up and snapped her fingers in front of the merchant. "Hey! You! Over here! Have you got any food to sell?" asked Sivir. At the finger-snapping, the merchant snapped out of his daze and hurriedly scrambled to bring some food out. He handed over the food and went back to staring at Nasus. Nasus thanked him and placed some coins into his hand and they walked away.

As Nasus, Sivir and Taliyah walked, the atmosphere of the town started to turn back to normal. People were still talking about Nasus, but nobody was incessantly staring at him anymore. Some children even ran over to feel his fur, as they laughed and giggled. Nasus smiled, as their mothers urgently prompted their children to return, giving Nasus an apologetic smile.

The chatter has picked up now and people were gossiping in the streets. One particular piece of gossip caught Nasus' attention.

"Did you hear about those merchants who were killed not far from here?" said a man.

"Yeah, I heard that there was a survivor, apparently he was crazy and delusional, spouting some nonsense about some lizard monster with hellish red eyes." Replied the other man.

Hearing this Nasus, stopped in his tracks and wondered. Sivir asked, "Something wrong?", to which Nasus replied, "No, but we may need to make a slight detour." Sivir nodded and followed without question, as did Taliyah.

Leaving the city, they ate as they walked. Thankfully they finished their food before they found what Nasus was looking for. The rumour was true; they had found the dismembered corpses of the merchants. Gore covered the carts and the sand, and at the sight of it, Taliyah couldn't hold back her urge to vomit as she threw up onto the ground. Sivir also looked on uneasily, averting her gaze.

Nasus sighed, turned to the two and said, "Alright, let's head to the old capital."

Sivir couldn't help but ask, "What the fuck was that? What did that to them? Why did you bring us there?"

Nasus didn't reply for a long while, and Sivir stewed in her anger. Finally, Nasus spoke up, "That. Was that work of my brother." At that both Sivir and Taliyah's eyes grew wide in surprise, as they looked at each other.

"Your brother? You mean the other Ascended warrior of Shurima? The crocodile… what was his name…?" asked Taliyah.

"Yes. Renekton. It was his doing. If he came this way, then he must be heading to the old capital as well. Given the circumstances, I'll need to ask a favour of you two."

Looking up, Taliyah asked, "What is it?"

When we arrive, Azir will need to raise the city when the sun is at its peak. Xerath will no doubt try to disrupt the ritual. Unfortunately, in all the centuries that Renekton has been imprisoned with Xerath, his mind has become twisted and corrupted. He now wishes to butcher me for betraying him. I will need you two to keep Renekton busy while I delay Xerath for as long as I can. Once Shurima has risen once again, Xerath will fall to Azir. Only then can I grant Renekton his reprieve."

"How will you return Renekton to sanity?" asked Taliyah.

"I will think of something." Lied Nasus. He only knew of one way to free his brother from himself, and he was happy to grant that wish as long as Xerath has been defeated. Until then, he still has one more duty to do. For his Emperor.


	5. Chapter 3: Battle

Azir sat in the desert, cross-legged. After Sivir left him to his own devices, he began contemplating. He thought back to the days before Shurima fell. He would think, 'Was Xerath always evil?' and 'But he always seemed to innocent and loyal…'. Sometimes he let his mind wander and he'll think, 'Perhaps this was all my fault… If only I hadn't attempted the Ritual…' and then to, 'Did the Augurs see this coming? They must have… Why didn't they tell me or try to stop me?' Azir wondered these things for a long while, but deep down he already knew the answer, he just didn't want to face it yet.

This was always going to happen.

And now he sat above his ruined city, he'll need to start the ritual soon. Today is the solstice and the sun has almost reached its peak. Another hour or so and Shurima will rise again. He just hoped that Xerath wouldn't come. But he knew that this battle was inevitable, maybe if Nasus and Renekton were here, he wouldn't fear this confrontation as much. Azir didn't know what happened to Nasus or Renekton, or if they're even still alive. He could only hope.

* * *

 _"_ _We must hurry!" Urged Nasus. The sun was high in the sky; they didn't have much time left. "It's nearly time."_

 _"_ _Well why didn't you tell me earlier?" Asked Taliyah. "If we needed to hurry, then we don't need to run so much." Nasus looked at her quizzically. Rolling her eyes, Taliyah raised her hands in front of her and summoned a sheet of rock beneath them. Thrusting her arms backwards, the rock lurched and started moving. It slid atop interweaving rock as she created a wall with arcing patterns on the side. Nasus smiled._

 _"_ _Sometimes I forget how powerful Stoneweavers are. Perhaps, my age is catching up to me." He laughed dryly._

* * *

As Azir sat waiting, he felt the presence of a powerful being nearing him. He stood up and peered in the direction of the aura. From the distance it was hard to see any details, but the dead give-away, was a giant curved blade in the creature's hand.

"Is that… Renekton?" Azir mused, to no-one in particular. He smiled and he became hopeful. However, another thought crossed his mind too, 'If Renekton was here, then where was Nasus…?" He shook his head before he could assume the worst, as he sat back down waiting.

After some time, Renekton was close enough for Azir to see clearly. A sense of danger and caution nagged at the back of Azir's mind. He could feel that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite figure out what. Renekton was moving slowly and aimlessly, almost like a zombie, but his eyes… His eyes gleamed with a fiery red. Azir soon realised that it was rage. It was only until Renekton moved close enough that Azir could hear what he was saying, or rather… chanting.

"Kill."

"Must kill."

"Kill."

Renekton lifted his head, he felt like he had arrived. He wasn't sure where, but lifting his head, he could see a lone figure. The figure was dressed in golden armour, in the aspect of a hawk. Some images flashed into his mind for a brief moment, but he just ignored it. More blood was to be spilt and nothing was going to stop him. Eyeing the figure, he suddenly lunged and cleaved. Expecting the fight to be over already, he was surprised to see that the figure had stopped his attack completely.

"What are you doing Renekton? Are you mad?!" Shouted the figure.

"Yes. Very." Was his reply.

The figure wielded a staff of some sort and pushing back his Bat'leth, the counterattack began. Renekton didn't care about the cuts and the bruises, the pain didn't bother him at all. His anger has numbed all of that, it's the fuel for his power and the attacks were just making him angrier.

Renekton roared at Azir and swung his Bat'leth at him. Azir parried and asked, "What is wrong with you?" but Renekton ignored him and continued his onslaught. Staff met Bat'leth as his attacks were parried and blocked time after time. Renekton began to swing his Bat'leth down in a wide arc, when he suddenly stopped, eyes widening.

"I will kill you later. First, my revenge shall be sated." Renekton said as he turned around to face what he had sensed and began charging towards it.

* * *

 _"_ _Look!" shouted Taliyah, "I can see somebody!"_

 _"_ _Yep, that's Azir all right, as gold and birdlike as I remember." Said Sivir plainly. "Question is though… who's that coming towards us?"_

 _Nasus let out a low growl, as he said, "It seems, this favour will need to come sooner than I had wanted."_

 _"_ _You mean THAT'S Renekton? But why does he look so animalistic? I mean other than the fact that he's a crocodile, but why does he seem to have no humanity left?" asked Taliyah, as she furrowed her brows._

 _Nasus sighed with guilt and replied, "I had trapped him with Xerath, his mind has broken and he will stop at nothing until I am dead at his feet." They could hear Renekton's roar and it was deafening._

 _"_ _Then get to Azir." Sivir said bluntly. "We'll take care of your brother."_

 _Nasus nodded and just before Renekton reached them, he leapt off of the platform as Taliyah separated the two with her wall of weaved rock. She circled around and enclosed Renekton inside. Renekton became enraged as he roared even louder. This time his anger was not directed at Nasus but at the women who stood before him._

 _"_ _You will NOT stop me from taking my revenge. You wish to stand against me? Then I'll just kill you FIRST!" Renekton charged at the two women, roaring, Bat'leth in hand._

 _Sivir held up Chalicar and muttered something beneath her breath and with that, Taliyah could feel the backing of the wind, they moved around Renekton with great speed as Sivir launched Chalicar again and again. Nasus had said that Chalicar once belonged to an Ascended Warrior Queen of Shurima, maybe that's why it returns to her every time. Sivir was of royal descent after all._

 _Taliyah shot rocks after rocks, however it did little other than annoy Renekton. He had cuts all over his body, where Chalicar had struck, but it didn't seem to faze him one bit. Taliyah could feel their speed dying down and Renekton must have noticed as well, because he immediately laughed, gave a cruel smile and charged. Sivir barely evaded the attack, as she combat-rolled to the side._

 _While Renekton was focused on Sivir, Taliyah knelt and felt for the bed rock. She started to raise pillars just beneath the sand, so lumps of sand could be seen. Since Nasus had a plan to return Renekton to normal, she figured trapping him would be the best. She didn't want to trap him in darkness again because she felt like that would've been too cruel. With her cage prepared, she shouted at the crocodile._

 _"_ _Hey you overgrown lizard! Go pick on someone your own race!" The effect was immediate as Renekton turned and snarled. His eyes flared with anger as he ignored Sivir, and immediately attacked Taliyah._

 _"_ _Run, you idiot!" Shouted Sivir. "What are you doing?!"_

 _Taliyah just smirked and as Renekton passed over the minefield-esque patch of worked ground, she raised her hands and pillars of rock shot up around Renekton. He charged head-first into a pillar and he roared in frustration. The pillars rose in a circle around the crocodile and soon he was trapped._

 _Sivir walked over and complimented Taliyah and her work, "I think I might have newfound respect for you as a fighter. Think you'll be interested in teaming up when this is all over? Mercenary jobs can pay well. Sometimes."_

 _Taliyah just chuckled and watched as Renekton sliced and diced at the columns. However, his makeshift prison was too strong. Taliyah had weaved together the strongest stones in the bedrock, weaving them together intricately so they won't break apart. The most Renekton could do was roar at them from behind bars and nick the stone slightly with his Bat'leth._

 _Taliyah dropped her surrounding wall, and stared onwards in horror. Xerath was there and was battling with both Azir and Nasus, and_ winning.


	6. Chapter 4: Sacrifice

Azir watched as Renekton charged towards what seemed to be moving rock. He saw Nasus jump down and was now heading towards him. Renekton had been obscured by the rock with the arcing patterns now and as Nasus approached him, he held his Staff up in a combat stance.

"Nasus, are you here as my warrior and friend, or have you lost your mind like your brother?" Azir asked cautiously.

"Peace, Emperor. I am here to aid you. Your descendent and the Stoneweaver, can deal with my brother for the time being. I'm sure you can feel Xerath approaching too. His magical aura is very pervasive."

Relaxing his guard momentarily, Azir nodded. "That traitor must pay for what he has done; his crimes cannot go unpunished."

"And who, pray tell, will punish me?" mused Xerath as he descended from the sky. Azir and Nasus both drew their weapons and stood ready to attack.

"TRAITOR! You WILL pay for your crimes Xerath!" Shouted Azir, "I had seen you as a friend once, but never again! You will die by my hand!"

Without waiting for Xerath's reply, Azir summoned soldiers of sand behind Xerath and moved them to attack him. The sand soldiers seemed to pass through him harmlessly and reverted back to sand.

"Pathetic." Stated Xerath, "At least try to do something." He said condescendingly. With a growl, Nasus charged in, swinging with his Axe. He imbued his attack with magic and sensing this, Xerath swiftly dodged out of the way.

"And here I was thinking this would be boring. At least one of you means business."

Nasus retreating back to Azir said quietly, "Physical attacks won't harm him, only magic can."

Nodding Azir promptly pointed his Staff at Xerath and fired a bolt of energy towards him. It hit him square in the would-be chest but Xerath just brushed it off as a nuisance.

Nasus summoned a ring of Spirit Fire to surround Xerath, but it didn't affect him at all. Xerath just began firing pulses of blue arcane energy at the two of them, whilst laughing manically. Azir and Nasus dodged them, and charged. With Azir in front, he flew towards Xerath. But instead of attacking him, to Xerath's surprise, Azir shot right by him to the sand soldier behind. Taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Azir summoned a wall of soldiers with shields raised and sent them hurtling towards Xerath. Realising too late, Xerath was forcefully thrown forwards, towards a charging Nasus, with a heavy War Axe. Bringing the Axe down upon Xerath, Nasus heard a crack and a cry of pain as Xerath started bleeding magical energy through his chest. In anger, Xerath roared to the sky and released a wave of magical energy outwards from his chest. The shockwave was so strong that it blasted both Nasus and Azir back several meters as they landed on the ground.

Looking at Nasus, Xerath said, "You will pay for that, cur. But first…" He turned and faced a disorientated Azir as he struggled to get up. Xerath fired an arcane pulse and it hit Azir in the shoulder and he screamed in pain. He kept firing, and Azir couldn't dodge them as he tried to fight the pain. He hit Azir in the arms, legs, chest, back, but not with enough power to kill. It was as though Xerath was enjoying the torture. Azir had fallen face-down on the sand and seemed to lack the strength to even lift his head as Xerath towered over him.

"And it is on this day, that the newly Ascended Emperor of Shurima falls once again, to naïveté and arrogance." Said Xerath coldly.

Seeing this, Nasus forced himself up as he shouted for his Emperor. "Xerath stop! I am your opponent, or are you so afraid of a simple dog?" Xerath didn't respond, but Nasus picked up his War Axe and charged straight for him. Xerath caught his Axe easily, as he magically blasted Nasus back onto the ground again.

"Stay down cur, you will get your turn after I kill this worthless bird." Spat Xerath.

As Xerath turned to Azir once more, Nasus stood and holding his Axe, attacked once more. Azir caught Nasus' eye and with that momentary exchange, Azir understood what he had to do. Summoning the remainder of his strength, Azir got up as silently as he could. Thankfully any sound he did make was masked by Nasus' growling. Azir turned his back to Xerath and walked away.

"You know something Nasus? I had originally intended for Renekton to do the honours of rending you limb from limb. But that crocodile is almost as useless as you are." Said Xerath, dodging another of Nasus' attacks.

"Don't you DARE speak of my brother! You did this to him! You will PAY" roared Nasus. In his anger, he drew upon his magic and began to grow in size. The raw magic surrounding him picking up some sand. The desert swirled around him as he held his War Axe menacingly towards Xerath. He summoned a ring of Spirit Fire again, but this time it was stronger. Xerath didn't seem as comfortable as he had been moments before. The fire seemed to actually hurt him.

"If you want to die so bad, then I wi – argh!" screamed Xerath as Nasus' Axe dug into his side. Now it was Nasus' turn to attack. He swung his axe viciously and mercilessly, cutting Xerath's ethereal form all over. Xerath's attacks never landed as Nasus either dodges them or deflects them with his Axe. For the first time in his Ascended existence, Xerath seemed afraid. Trapped within the ring of Spirit Fire, Nasus loomed over him. As Nasus brought the War Axe arcing down towards his head, Xerath lifted his hand in panic. In that last desperate moment, Xerath summoned his magic into an orb in his hand. As Nasus' Axe impacted the orb, it shattered and Nasus stiffened, with blue sparks dancing around his body. He tried to move away but his muscles won't obey him.

Xerath, seemingly recovered from his fear, now emitted a deranged laughter. Nasus eyed him, growling as his Axe is stopped right over Xerath's head. Xerath looked at Nasus frozen before him, as Xerath chuckled like a serial killer would when going in for the kill. Placing a hand over Nasus' torso, he bid his farewell. "So long, cur."

From Xerath's hand, a brilliant blue beam of arcane energy shot forth. It penetrated Nasus' entire body and shot out his back. Nasus' muscles tensed, as his body stiffened. He grunted in pain as blood began to well inside his throat and trickle down his mouth. As the beam died down, there was a gaping hole in Nasus' mid-section, about the size of a fist. Blood began flowing down the open wound, as Nasus began to laugh weakly.

"Is dying really that amusing, cur?" asked Xerath.

"No… look up…" Nasus grunted more in pain as he struggled to speak. "You're… too… late…" and with that, Nasus smiled through bloodied teeth, and then fell forward onto the sand as darkness enveloped him.

Xerath didn't understand what Nasus meant, and was relishing in his victory, until he noticed something strange. His shadow was directly beneath him now. As he looked up at the sky, he saw that the sun had reached its peak. As realisation set in, he turned and found Azir kneeling with his Staff embedded into the sand. Before Xerath could make a move, the ground began to tremble like an earthquake. Immediately the ground beneath Azir began to rise, causing the sand to flow down like a water fall. Xerath's tone was murderous as he screamed, "NO! NO! NO! STOP!". He fired his magic frantically towards Azir, but none hitting their mark.

As Shurima was rising, the sand uncovered the houses, the streets, the statues and all of the walls, however there was one thing that was missing. Azir was standing atop the steps where the Ritual of Ascension takes place and Nasus lay at the bottom of the staircase. Xerath had already begun floating upwards towards Azir. Azir faced the direction of where the Sun Disc is supposed to be and raised his arms to his sides. As he held his arms up there was another rumble as large pieces of gold floated up. It was a majestic sight to behold. The gold pieces of the Sun Disc collecting themselves, mending to become whole once more. Xerath arrived at the top just as the Sun Disc was finished and is now floating in the same place where it was since so long ago.

"FINE THEN, I'LL JUST DESTROY IT ALL AGAIN!" screamed Xerath. As he opened himself to fire barrages of arcane pulses of raw magic, he pulses seemed to dissipate in the air. Confused Xerath look up and saw that his magic was being absorbed into the Sun Disc.

Holding up his Staff, Azir stared at Xerath and said, "When the sun shines brightest, highest in all the days. With his power, shall he the city raise. And you will return all of the magic that you stole that day. Every last drop of it belongs back in the Sun Disc." At that, Azir fired an arc of energy at Xerath, and at the same time, the sun reflected off of the Sun Disc, and concentrated it into a beam. The beam of sunlight fired from the Sun Disc hit Xerath and enveloped him completely. He screamed in pain as he felt his power leaving.

"No! Stop! THIS CAN'T BE! MY REIGN DOES NOT END HERE! IT CANNOT END HERE!" As Xerath screamed, his ethereal body dissipated and flowed back towards the Sun Disc. As the screams faded, all that was left of the magus was the chains and rocks that gave him form. Nothing else remained.

Marvelling at his beloved city once more, he remembered his friend. He looked down the steps where Nasus lay and was shocked to find Renekton standing over Nasus' body.


	7. Chapter 5: Memories

"LET ME OUT!" roared Renekton. He continued to attack the stone pillars around him in an attempt to escape. Getting progressively more infuriated, his attacks became more frantic. The rage fuelled him as his attacks started to have an effect on the pillars. He summoned the magic of the Ascension, growing in size and strength as he kept slicing at the pillars. Taliyah's eyes widened as she realised that her stone columns would soon be broken as she prepared to summon more. Kneeling on the ground with her palms on the sand, she focused and weaved the bedrock into spiral columns.

Renekton's eyes flared red as he let out an ear-piercing roar. Invigorated, he swung his Bat'leth at the stone pillars, and this time, it cut through.

"YOU'RE FIRST STONE GIRL!" Shouted Renekton, as he began to charge towards Taliyah. She summoned her newly prepared columns, however Renekton was too fast. He moved at blinding speeds, either dodging her pillars or occasionally destroying some. As Renekton towered over Taliyah, she closed her eyes and awaited the final blow. Renekton brought his Bat'leth down, and in that instance, Sivir leapt in between holding Chalicar up in defense. His Bat'leth collided with a shimmering force field that had materialised around Sivir and even with all his strength, he couldn't break the barrier.

"Si… Sivir?" Stuttered Taliyah, as she couldn't believe that Sivir was holding Renekton back.

"Move. Now!" snapped Sivir, and immediately Taliyah hurried away.

Renekton roared in Sivir's face, and as he watched her, his eyes fell upon Chalicar. A sharp pain erupted in his mind as images began to flash through his head. He backed away and shook his head. He saw faded images that he didn't understand. Why was he seeing images of him and Nasus, drinking and laughing with a woman? A regal woman with a cross-blade strapped across her back. Why were these images in his mind?

Looking up, pained, he shouted, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" But Sivir just stood there looking confused.

"Hey Sivir, what's happening?" asked Taliyah.

"I… I don't quite know…" was her reply.

Convinced that this is some magic trickery, he eyed Sivir in frothing rage. However, once his eyes fell upon the jade pendant hanging around Sivir's neck, Renekton dropped to his knees, dropping his Bat'leth and clutched his head in pain.

"What…?" was all he could mutter as images raced through his mind, flashing and gaining in intensity. At first, he saw happy memories with Nasus, like when they were young, he would get into fights and Nasus would scold him for it. Or that time when Nasus was being bullied, and he chased away the attackers. Then he remembered later when he committed his crime, it was Nasus' suggestion that saved his life and set him on the path of a warrior. Memories that had been suppressed for so long, finally began to surface, however Renekton, in his blind rage and thirst for vengeance, desperately rejected it all.

"No! Nasus betrayed me! He left me there to ROT! Centuries! I was stuck in darkness for CENTURIES! He… He needs to pay!" cried Renekton.

"I think… He might be regaining his memories." Suggested Taliyah.

Seeing the merit of this suggestion, Sivir thought she would help the process along.

"You want to kill you brother? The brother whom you loved enough to risk your life for? The brother who is sacrificing himself right now to save Shurima? Think, Renekton, THINK! Let the memories in!"

"Sa…sacrifice…?" uttered Renekton as he clutched his head harder, as the memories of love came flooding through.

* * *

 _The sun shone brightly in the sky. It was the day of the solstice. The Augurs had declared Nasus to be worthy of the Ritual of Ascension and it is time. Nasus' sickness was debilitating; he didn't have the strength to climb the stairs. Without hesitation, Renekton lifted his brother in his arms and climb the steps for him._

 _"_ _Renekton… don't…" croaked Nasus weakly. "You'll die… I can't ask that of you…"_

 _"_ _You don't need to brother. I love you and if it means saving your life… then this I do willingly._

 _"_ _Please…" Nasus was crying now, he didn't want his brother to sacrifice himself for him. Looking up at Renekton, all he saw was a grin across his face as the light shone down upon them._

 _"_ _Live strong, Nasus."_

* * *

"ARRGGHHHHH! STOP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" screamed Renekton. But his pleas were unmet as the most important memories came back. Their first fight with Brand played through his head, before abruptly flash-forwarding to their second fight with Brand. And then he remembered watching Shurima burn as Nasus cried. He remembered Xerath, and his crimes. But more importantly, he remembered the fight.

* * *

 _He saw himself restraining Xerath inside the Tomb of the Emperors as he yelled, "BROTHER! SEAL THE TOMB NOW!"_

 _He saw Nasus' reluctancy as he cried, "No… There has to be another way!"_

 _"_ _This is the only way brother, hurry up and seal it! I can't hold him down much longer!"_

 _Xerath screamed, "HAH, YOU THINK YOUR MEASLY MAGICS CAN CONTAIN ME?!"_

 _"_ _Please brother! For the sake of the world, seal that god damned door!"_

 _He could see Nasus' tears as the tomb door began closing. He saw himself smile and say, "Thank you brother, sorry for making you do this, but goodbye." And he remembered Nasus' reply._

 _"_ _Goodbye brother, know that I have and always will love you."_

* * *

Breathing heavily, Renekton began to calm down. He lowered his hands from his head as he slowly opened his eyes. Taliyah and Sivir were watching from a distance. They noticed that Renekton's eyes, although still red, were soft and had no anger behind them.

"Re…Renekton?" called Taliyah cautiously.

Renekton ignored her though, he moved to pick up his Bat'leth and noticed that the gem was no longer red now. It had turned back to its original green. At that moment, the ground started shifting. Nearby, something large was emerging from the sands. Immediately Renekton took off, sprinting towards the rising city of Shurima. Sivir and Taliyah barely realised he had left as they were marvelling at the sight that was unfolding before them.

Soon the sands stopped shifting, as Shurima had fully risen. They heard a great scream as they saw a beam of light arcing towards the new Sun Disc. Renekton ignored all of this however. He saw one thing and one thing only. His brother lying on the ground.


	8. Chapter 6: Family (Final)

Reaching Nasus, Renekton could see his brother lying face down on the ground, blood pooling beneath him and seeping into the ground. He noticed a gold figure drop down next to him and say something but he didn't hear, he had blocked everything out. Ever since he was released from the Tomb of the Emperors, he had wanted nothing but to see his brother dead, but now… now it just felt like cruel fate for this to have happened right when Xerath's hold on his mind disappeared. He began to cry as he knelt down. He turned Nasus over and wrapping his arms around Nasus' head, he began to cry as he hugged his brother.

Noticing Renekton standing over Nasus' body, Azir dropped down the stairs as fast as he could.

"Renekton, what are you going to do?" asked Azir.

After he gave no reply, Azir walked towards him. Azir feared that Renekton may do something unsightly to Nasus' body, but as he walked closer, he noticed something. Renekton was no longer the demented, rage-fuelled monster. He had regained his sanity. Azir watched Renekton drop to the ground, crying as he hugged Nasus, and soon after Sivir and Taliyah arrived at the scene too. As soon as they saw Nasus' condition, Taliyah teared up and placed her hands over her mouth in shock and sadness. Sivir averted her gaze as she tried to hold back tears herself. Azir however, was not watching the women. His attention was drawn to a piece of jewellery that one of them was wearing.

"Sivir, that pendant! Where did you get it?" he asked urgently.

The question snapped Sivir out of her grief momentarily, as she held the pendant in her hands she answered, "Nasus gave it to me. He said that it would hide me from Xerath's gaze."

As she finished, she noticed the tiniest of flickers in the pendant. Eyes widening, she looked at Azir, who seemed to have noticed too. Azir motioned for her to hand over the pendant and as she placed it in his hands, he crouched down next to Nasus. The pendant pulsed again. It was very weak, but nevertheless it pulsed, and to Azir that meant one thing. Placing his hand on Renekton's shoulder, he spoke softly, "Renekton, do not give up hope yet, he has not yet passed to the other side. Nasus enchanted this pendant with his magic, if the magic in this pendant is still active then the souce of that magic must still exist."

Renekton's eyes widened as he heard this. He didn't dare hope, but he hoped anyway.

"Nasus! Brother, please! Open your eyes!"

* * *

 _Nasus could hear somebody calling him, but it was so distant and faint. He opened his eyes and saw that he was standing in the middle of a road. A road that seemed to stretch for eternity. He looked down and saw that he still had the gaping hole that Xerath had left, he closed his eyes and sighed in resignation because he couldn't feel any of the pain._

 _'_ _So this is how the Ascended die.'_

 _He opened his eyes again, and was surprised to see a young boy gazing up at him, head tilted with a confused expression. Tears began to form in Nasus' eyes as he recognised the boy. It was a young Renekton, before everything had happened. It was the Renekton from a more innocent time. Wiping away his tears, he smiled as he said, "Hello brother, it's been too long."_

 _The boy grabbed Nasus by the wrist and began to lead him down the road. There was really nowhere else to go. The road was the only thing visible, everything else was pitch black. After walking for a long time, they arrived at a crossroads. There were two options and there was a road sign in the middle. The sign pointing to the right said 'Death', and the one pointing to the left… was blank. They stopped there for a long time as the young Renekton watched Nasus expectantly._

 _Nasus thought for a long time. He thought back to everything he accomplished but moreover, he thought about all of his failures. It seemed that these failures weighed heavily on his mind as in his eyes, these failures brought more death and destruction than any of his achievements could have redeemed. He remembered the empire that he failed to save and the death of the citizens whom he had vowed to protect. He remembered how his own brother was willing to sacrifice himself so he could undergo the Ritual of Ascension to cure his disease, and how he had repaid that sacrifice by sealing his brother in the dark with a madman._

 _'_ _At least with my death, you will be free brother…' As he made up his mind; he walked right._

 _He carried on walking for a long time until he saw the road end. What lay beyond the road was something thicker than darkness. It seemed to be darkness in liquid form, but instead of waves, he saw that they were in fact ghostly grey wisps of skulls. There was also an incessant wailing in the background, but it was quiet. There was the form of a woman standing at the road's end facing away from him. As he walked closer, he recognised who it was._

 _"_ _Setaka…"_

 _"_ _Hello Nasus." Replied the woman. She smiled softly as she turned around. "It's been a long time, although I wish we didn't have to meet again under these circumstances."_

 _"_ _At least Renekton won't be joining us yet. Hopefully not for a while."_

 _"_ _Are you sure you're okay with leaving your brother alone again?" asked Setaka._

 _The young Renekton was now standing in front of Nasus, and crouching down, Nasus looked at him affectionately._

 _"_ _His mind has been corrupted by Xerath, if my death will bring him some solace, then I will gladly agree."_

 _"_ _Are you sure your brother will be happy to find you dead when he regains his faculties? Do not think your brother to be so weak as to let Xerath rule his mind forever."_

 _"_ _He's my little brother, and it's my job to protect him. However, it seemed that in my whole life, it's been the other way round. It's always been Renekton who saves me, so if my death will bring him peace, then so be it."_

 _Setaka watched as Nasus hugged the young child, as she said, "Oh Nasus, you still don't understand yet, do you?"_

* * *

The pendant was still pulsating, but it was getting dimmer and dimmer. The glow was barely noticeable anymore. Renekton was still crying as he called for his brother.

"Nasus, please open your eyes! Please stay with me!"

* * *

 _"_ _Please stay with me." whispered the boy, speaking for the first time. He was beginning to cry now. Nasus stared at the young Renekton, speechless. He didn't know what to do._

 _"_ _Why are you so certain that dying is the only way? Are you running away from it like a coward, or are you really just that stupid?" Asked Setaka as she broke the silence. "You left Renekton in a dark cave for centuries, are you really going to force him to go through that again?"_

 _Nasus felt a pang of guilt as he doubled over. He propped himself up with his left hand to stop himself from falling onto the ground, whilst his right hand clutched his chest. He could feel the pain now and it was overwhelming._

 _"_ _What… is this…?" He croaked._

 _"_ _That. Is the pain of the wounds that you have been inflicted with. Not the physical wound that Xerath left though. That's all the pain that you've inflicted upon yourself in these past centuries. You have carried the weight of Shurima's fall for centuries. You blamed yourself for everything. You blamed yourself for not being able to help Shurima, and then for condemning your brother to that madman. For centuries you have lived in solitude, stewing in your anguish, letting your sorrow and guilt eat away at you bit by bit. This is what you need to understand Nasus. Physical wounds can heal by themselves, but you must learn to start healing the wounds on your heart."_

* * *

"He isn't healing!" cried Renekton, "Why won't you heal brother?". He stared at Nasus' wound as the flesh stayed torn, seemingly unwilling to heal itself.

"I don't think… he has the energy left to heal such a grievous wound…" answered Azir solemnly, as he stared at the ever-dimming pendant.

Renekton cried some more until he realised something. Looking around him frantically, he found the War Axe and picked it up.

"If he hasn't got enough energy, then I'll give him the energy!" cried Renekton desperately. This was his last gamble, as he took the head of the War Axe and slid his palm along the blade. With his blood flowing freely, he placed his bloodied hand onto the embedded gem of the War Axe. The War Axe faintly glowed purple, as Renekton grew hopeful again. He could feel the Axe siphoning his magical energy, and he let it freely. It wasn't until he grew light-headed and dizzy that he took his palm off of the blade. He placed the War Axe in his brother's hand beside him as he whispered, "Please brother, don't leave me again."

* * *

 _"_ _Please brother, don't leave me again." Said the boy. He was standing in front of the kneeling Nasus again, this time no longer crying._

 _He cried into the boy's shoulder as he hugged him again. "I'm so sorry Renekton. I'm so sorry for leaving you the first time. I'm so sorry for leaving you this time. I want to stay, I want to stay by your side forever but now that I'm here, how do I go back?" Looking up at Setaka, he could see that she was smiling._

 _"_ _Oh dear Nasus, have you forgotten what I said already? Physical wounds will heal; you just need to heal the wounds on your heart. The first step of doing that is to rely on your family and friends once in a while. Solitude can really take its toll on a man." Setaka gave him a wink as the young boy started glowing._

 _Nasus released him from the hug and stared at the boy, now glowing a brilliant vibrant green. The little boy placed his glowing hand over Nasus' wound and the glowing intensified. Nasus stared as the boy turned into a mist of green arcane energy. It fed into his wound and looking down, he could see it begin to close. The pain eased up as his vision blurred. As he fell unconscious he heard Setaka's final words to him._

 _"_ _Hope I don't see you back here any time soon, dear old friend."_

* * *

The glow from the War Axe now started to crawl along Nasus' arm. It was slow but it made good progress. As the glow reached his wound, they could see the flesh begin to knit itself back together again, albeit very slowly.

"It's working!" cried Taliyah, as she watched. It was all that they could do at that point. Watch and wait. Renekton knelt beside Nasus as he prayed.

"Please Nasus, come back to me. I don't want to lose my family again…"

* * *

 _Nasus opened his eyes and found himself lying on the road again. This time however, it was no longer surrounded by darkness. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining down, grass besides the road that seemingly stretched on for ever. There were birds singing in the trees as they swayed to the wind, which carried the scent of flowers and pine. He stood up and found himself before the crossroads again. Looking at the signpost, the sign pointing right still had 'Death' written on it, but this time the sign pointing left was not blank anymore. This time it wrote, 'Family'._

 _Smiling, Nasus made his decision and he turned left._

 _As he walked down the road, his surroundings seemed to get lighter. Soon everything was white and he couldn't see anything. This time he opened his eyes once again, and was greeted with the crying face of his brother._

* * *

As they watched the wound heal slowly, they stared at Nasus waiting for him to open his eyes. As the wound finished healing, they saw Nasus' eyes twitch. As his eyes slowly opened, they all let out a long-held sigh of relief. Wiping away tears, Renekton grabbed Nasus, and hugged him tightly.

"Oh thank the Sun… I thought I had lost you again... I'm sorry for all the pain that I've caused while under Xerath's influence… Forgive me brother…" Spouted Renekton through tears of joy.

Recovering from the shock of the sudden hug, he wrapped his arms around Renekton and hugged him back.

"There is nothing to forgive brother, you have done nothing wrong. I am the one who should apologise, for leaving you, and for almost leaving you again. I'm just glad that you're back." Replied Nasus, as his eyes started to well up as well.

Taliyah was ecstatic. She hugged Sivir who just smiled, as they watched the miracle that just unfolded before them.

Azir also smiled as he walked back towards his city. He walked towards where the Augurs had been. That room that started this whole endeavour. He felt drawn there for some reason, but didn't know why until he arrived. On the engraving of the Sun Disc, he saw the crack. He held up his hand and pointed at the crack and it slowly sealed itself. Once fully sealed, words appeared on the engraving by themselves. Intrigued Azir walked closer and read it.

It was the full prophecy:

 _When the sun shines brightest, highest in all the days._

 _With his power, shall he the city raise/raze._

 _Once raised, the city stands._

 _Proudest city in all the lands._

 _Once razed, the city sleeps._

 _Lying in ruin and ashen heaps._

 _Once more shall the city rise._

 _This time ruling both land and sky._

Underneath the prophecy was also a new engraving. It showed a bird, with its wings spread out, and its head raised towards the sky with a staff in between its beaks. Below was the engraving of a kneeling jackal and a kneeling crocodile. As the sunlight passed directly over this engraving, the words and pictures glowed with a golden light and started to dissipate, until all that is left is the original engraving of the Sun Disc on the wall.

As Azir walked out, he climbed back to the top of the stairs. He raised his Staff of Office to the sky and the sand cleared away, leaving the stone bare. All of the destroyed buildings repaired themselves as the city returned to how it was originally. Even the bit of stone where Nasus bled was cleaned.

As Nasus and Renekton finished their weeping reunion, they looked up to their Emperor and knelt; once again pledging their lives to the protection of the city and its Emperor. Sivir and Taliyah watched from the side as they leaned against the wall.

All across the desert, people started travelling. They all headed in one direction, with one destination in mind.

Shurima was reborn.


End file.
